Difference between revisions of "A Real Birmingham Family"
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In a process begun in 2011, and coordinated by the city's Ikon Gallery, nominations for a ''real'' local family to model for the sculpture were invited. The Jones' were selected from a shortlist, by an independent panel, in August 2013.<ref>http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/meet-joneses---real-birmingham-5794999</ref> |
In a process begun in 2011, and coordinated by the city's Ikon Gallery, nominations for a ''real'' local family to model for the sculpture were invited. The Jones' were selected from a shortlist, by an independent panel, in August 2013.<ref>http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/meet-joneses---real-birmingham-5794999</ref> |
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| + | Wearing said: |
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| + | <blockquote> |
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| ⚫ | 'I really liked how Roma and Emma Jones spoke of their closeness as sisters and how they supported each other. It seemed a very strong bond, one of friendship and family, and the sculpture puts across that connectedness between them. A nuclear family is one reality but it is one of many and this work celebrates the idea that what constitutes a family should not be fixed.'' |
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| + | </blockquote> |
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| − | In November 2014 shortly after being unveiled, [[New Fathers 4 Justice]] activist [[Bobby Smith (activist)|Bobby Smith]] covered the statue with a white sheet and pictures of his two daughters. Smith commented, "They’ve depicted the normal family with no fathers... I believe kids are always better off with both parents in their lives."<ref name="Hallam">{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/library-birmingham-statue-attacked-new-8033694|title=Library of Birmingham statue attacked by New Fathers For Justice protester |
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| − | |last=Hallam|first=Katie|date=2014-11-01|work=[[Birmingham Mail]]|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Lyndon">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11205005/Is-Gillian-Wearings-family-sculpture-offensive-to-fathers.html|title=Is Gillian Wearing's family sculpture offensive to fathers? |
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| − | |last=Lyndon|first=Neil|author-link=Neil Lyndon|date=2014-11-03|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref> |
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| + | In November 2014 shortly after being unveiled, [[New Fathers 4 Justice]] activist [[Bobby Smith]] covered the statue with a white sheet and pictures of his two daughters. Smith commented: |
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| ⚫ | The statue went into storage in May 2017, to allow work for the redevelopment of Centenary Square to begin.<ref> |
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| + | <blockquote> |
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| + | "They’ve depicted the normal family with no fathers... I believe kids are always better off with both parents in their lives." |
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| + | <ref>http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/library-birmingham-statue-attacked-new-8033694</ref> |
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| + | <ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11205005/Is-Gillian-Wearings-family-sculpture-offensive-to-fathers.html</ref> |
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| + | </blockquote> |
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| − | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Real_Birmingham_Family |
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[[Category: Featured Articles]] |
[[Category: Featured Articles]] |
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Revision as of 04:52, 1 January 2022
A Real Birmingham Family is a public artwork and sculpture by Gillian Wearing, cast in bronze, and erected in Centenary Square, outside the Library of Birmingham, England, on 30 October 2014.[1]
It depicts two local sisters, each single mothers called Roma and Emma Jones, with their two children; Roma's son Kyan and Emma's son Shaye. Emma is depicted as pregnant with a second son, Isaac, who was born before the sculpture was unveiled.[2] A small plaque laid on the ground in front of the work describes it.
In a process begun in 2011, and coordinated by the city's Ikon Gallery, nominations for a real local family to model for the sculpture were invited. The Jones' were selected from a shortlist, by an independent panel, in August 2013.[3]
Wearing said:
'I really liked how Roma and Emma Jones spoke of their closeness as sisters and how they supported each other. It seemed a very strong bond, one of friendship and family, and the sculpture puts across that connectedness between them. A nuclear family is one reality but it is one of many and this work celebrates the idea that what constitutes a family should not be fixed. [4]
The £100,000 cost of the work was covered by a combination of public money and private donations. The casting was carried out in China. The project follows Wearing's 2008 work, A Typical Trentino Family.
In November 2014 shortly after being unveiled, New Fathers 4 Justice activist Bobby Smith covered the statue with a white sheet and pictures of his two daughters. Smith commented:
"They’ve depicted the normal family with no fathers... I believe kids are always better off with both parents in their lives." [5] [6]
The statue went into storage in May 2017, to allow work for the redevelopment of Centenary Square to begin.[7]
- ↑ http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/library-birmingham-statue-unveiling-two-8024136
- ↑ http://birminghamnewsroom.com/2014/10/a-real-birmingham-family/
- ↑ http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/meet-joneses---real-birmingham-5794999
- ↑ http://arealbirminghamfamily.com/sign-in?ReturnUrl=%2f#jones
- ↑ http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/library-birmingham-statue-attacked-new-8033694
- ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11205005/Is-Gillian-Wearings-family-sculpture-offensive-to-fathers.html
- ↑ http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/controversial-family-statue-removed-centenary-13266612